Synaptic Properties of Geopolymer Memristors: Synaptic Plasticity, Spike-Rate-Dependent Plasticity, and Spike-Timing-Dependent Plasticity

Abstract

Memristors, also known as artificial synapses, are devices that are able to mimic the memory functions of biological synapses. To emulate synaptic functions, memristors need to exhibit plasticity, which is a pivotal phenomenon in their biological counterparts. In a previous work, we demonstrated that geopolymers present memristive properties. In this work, we study different types of synaptic plasticity properties of geopolymer memristors. We demonstrate short-term and long-term memory resulting from potentiation-depression; Hebbian learning inspired spike-timing-dependent plasticity, spike-rate-dependent plasticity, history-dependent plasticity, paired-pulse facilitation, paired-pulse depression, and post-tetanic potentiation. These synaptic properties can be ascribed to the electro-osmosis-induced movement of ions in the capillaries and pores of the geopolymer memristors. These properties are extremely promising for the use of geopolymers in neuromorphic computing applications.